


Hey, I'm Blue!

by CraftyLmao123



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, Church Prime, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, I swear they're just friends, Jealousy, Platonic Relationships, Post-Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Reconciliation, Three Years Later, red skeppy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:48:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28495590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CraftyLmao123/pseuds/CraftyLmao123
Summary: His past self would have been ecstatic. Now, he doesn’t know how to feel.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Darryl Noveschosch, Darryl Noveschosch & Sapnap, Zak Ahmed & Darryl Noveschosch, Zak Ahmed & Technoblade
Comments: 38
Kudos: 115





	1. Chapter 1

Near the lake, there was a little duckling. Its tiny feet waddle on hurriedly along with its siblings. Yellow feathers fluttered at its clumsy movements; a little stain against its coat from the occasional fall. Yet, it cannot stop itself to slow down, or else it would be left behind. An adorable thought the little duckling had despite knowing its mother would look back and recount them, making sure none of its children were falling behind. 

It was a thought that felt all too familiar to Badboyhalo. Once, he was like that duckling; walking in a rushed manner on the prime path, jumping occasionally to keep up with his friend. His clumsy feet would trip on the uneven textures, and he had to catch himself with a little yelp. He would look up, fearing that his friend had walked a little too far for his sightline, only to found a pair of brown eyes staring at his figures; worried chocolate orbs gazing over him. Never would his friend let him fall behind, for he would always stop and walk back when he did. 

And Bad, like an adorable little duckling, would stand up straight and continue to waddle on after his friend.

The fond memory warmth his heart against the morning breeze; filling his tired emerald eyes with sparkles and letting his lips stretch into a tiny smile. Yet as another breeze blew by, it drooped down.

_ “Skeppy! Wait up!” _

Bad closed his eyes and let out a sigh, allowing his mind to play its show against his eyelids. His room slowly disappear, and the air grew colder; water drizzles all around him, and he was submerged in the scene.

_ “Skeppy!” _

_ Bad yelped as he tripped at the path again. This time, the yelp caught his best friend’s attention, and the red boy stopped at his track. A flurry of hope bloom in Bad’s heart that Skeppy would turn around at him, and he would be gazing at his friend’s brown eyes, or maybe red eyes in this case. To his disappointment, Skeppy kept his back on him. Nevertheless, he quickly caught up to Skeppy and stood behind him.  _

_ “Where are you going?” _

_ Bad flinched when the boy finally turned around, with his monotone look and all. “Home.” The reply was short, cold, and enough to answer his question. Very different from how Skeppy would have answered him. Yet, Bad continues. _

_ “Skeppy, Badlands is over there—” _

_ “Badlands is not my home.” The tone was cold, sharp, and cut clean through his words. There was an uncomfortable silence that follows after. The demon was trying to think of a reason, a way to counter the statement; something that will please his illogical logic and persuade the man to return to his house, their house. But Skeppy had cut him off again. _

_ “Fuck off.” _

_ With those words, Bad realized; there was nothing that he could say to stop him. So, Skeppy turned around and walked off, disappearing from his sight under the heavy downfall. He did not turn back, and he did not wait for Bad to follow either. He left Bad behind, frozen under the turmoil of emotions by his simple words. While Bad, stood still.  _

‘And here I am, three years later.’ Bad let out a sigh. His eyes fluttered open and gazed outside his window once more; his head lazily leaning on his arms whilst his mind wanders afar at the sight of the lake. 

Three years ago, he would be crying in the corner of his room. He would be wailing out helplessly for Skeppy, wishing loudly in his heart that his best friend will come back to him. He would close his eyes and pinch himself, hoping that all of this was just a nightmare. He would stay locked in his mansion, alone, and ignoring all his needs. He was like a broken-hearted child, torturing himself in guilt. 

But he had changed. He had grown, he had matured. The thought made him smile a little. It was quite an achievement, after all, letting go of his friend, moving on, learning to forgive himself for the mistake that was not his, and finally giving his body its well-deserved self-care. He lazily twisted his head to gaze at the mirror on the wall. The image reflected on the surface was concrete proof of his changes; his hair that flow passes his shoulder, the horns that had grown taller and sharper, the missing eyebags, and finally, the crudely drawn picture of the male reproductive organ that stand out in red ink against his pale cheeks. 

Quickly scrambling for the mirror, he wished that it was an illusion; unfortunately, it is not. Bad let out a groan and let his head fall against the mirror. He knows exactly who to blame.

* * *

“What did you even use to draw this?!”

Bad let out another huff as he tries to wipe away the drawing of his cheek, trying desperately to remove the red mark on his face. After another fail attempt, the demon let out a groan and turn to glare at his friend. 

Quackity let out another round of laughter at the demon’s action. The Mexican held on to the cloth on his right hand, whilst his left holding on to his sides. Bad rolls his eyes at the younger actions and continue helplessly wiping the drawing off. It took a few more moments before Quackity finally calmed down and manage to talk coherently. 

“It’s just a normal dye, dude.”, he wiped away the tears from the corner of his eyes, “Trust me.” Quackity only hollered when Bad growled at him; it was amusing to see how his growl had evolved to a terrifying one but still fail to intimidate anyone.

Bad rolled his eyes again and continue to rub the red mark off his face; the pale cheek had become red itself from the constant friction. He leaned forward at the edge of the lake, looking at his reflection to see the progress he had made. Fortunately, the stain had started to dissipate from his face. 

Bad huffed again, “Last time, I trusted you with  _ Mr. Pointy _ , and looked where it had ended up at.” At the bottom of the ocean, probably by the hands of another drowned. Quackity snorted at the sarcasm and looked at Bad. “C’mon Bad. I did get you another trident, right?” 

The demon only rolled his eyes at the younger and let a smile slipped out. He still recalled that day vividly; he was on the verge of crying after Quackity lost his treasured trident in the sea, and the Mexican quickly stumbled over words to comfort the demon. He promised him a lot of stuff, before settling with a new trident. That instantly stopped the demon’s whimpering. 

Bad saw how Quackity had spent the whole night hunting down drowned that night, going through death after death, before finally finding a decent trident; it was surprisingly better than his old one. Then he recalled how Quackity handed him the trident, the saltwater dripping on Bad’s porch, and a proud smile on the Mexican’s tired face. Even though Bad would have forgiven Quackity without the new trident, Quackity still went through the extra mile. 

Bad finally let a smile creep up his face. He stopped scrubbing his face, seeing that the mark had fully disappeared. He tossed the towel on Quackity stomach and stood up. “Well, you did.” The demon stretched his tired body up, hearing a satisfying crack. Quackity snorted and store the two dirty cloth away into his inventory. “So, what do you have in mind today, Mr. Quackity?”

Bad instantly regretted ever asking his question when he felt an arm creeping around his shoulder and a mischievous creeping up the Mexican’s face. 

“Glad you ask, Bad!”

Oh no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this is my first fanfiction in the fandom. I hope you guys like it ^^. I had this idea in the middle of the night and like, why not write it down? Anyway if you have any question, feel free to comment down below! 
> 
> P.S. None of this are canon--


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey, you forget your cloak again.”

Bad snaps from his dazes as he felt the familiar weight of fabric against his skin. Only when the warmth spread across his figure did he noticed how cold the night had been. Unconsciously, his frozen hand scrambled for the cloak and fix it against his figures. 

“Thanks, Sapnap.” Bad smiled at him, before letting his gaze drift back toward the sky. Sapnap muttered something under his breath; the demon did not need to catch the younger’s words to know he had replied with a ‘no problem.’ The demon let out a deep sigh and pull his legs together, and the action does not go unnoticed by Sapnap. With a huff and a grunt, the arsonist sat next to the demon. It will be a long night. 

Sapnap nudges the demon’s side, getting his attention with a little hum.

“What’cha thinking about?”

Bad let out a little sigh, then turned to the sky once again. “Just the sky. It’s pretty.” There were a comfortable silence and a single accusing look toward the demon. “And, maybe, a little tinsy bit about Skeppy. I mean, this used to be our spot.” 

Sapnap shrugged, satisfied, and follows Bad’s gaze. 

Bad closed his eyes, letting his head fully leaned against his knees. Yes, he did manage to let go of Skeppy, but it would be a lie to say that he did not miss his best friend at all. Bad and Skeppy were very close to each other and forgetting that kind of friendship seems impossible to do in just three years. 

At times like these, when there was no one to distract him, he found himself reminiscing their memories together. Back before the egg, before the war, before Badlands, and when it had only been the two of them. 

They would sit next to each other and gaze at the sky to let their tired body rest after a long day. Sometimes they will banter, some other times they would just make small talk, and some other times it was complete silence. Bad never really minded what they did, what matter was his best friend by his side as they enjoy the comfort of each other presence. More or less like what he is doing right now with Sapnap. 

_“What will you do if… I were lost?”_

Ah. 

He is falling asleep. 

_“Wha..? Lost? I don’t get it.”_

As much as his logic reasoned about the downside of sleeping on the roof, he did not want to wake up. He knew that this dream will leave him a little sour in the morning, but it was not something he could not handle. And so, Bad let the scene played before his eyelids; a dream of their last conversation on the roof. It was a bittersweet memory that brought a little smile to Bad’s face and a pang to his heart. Yeah, it was a good memory. 

_“I mean, like, if I go missing one day. Like, you know, poof! Skeppy! Gone!”_

_“Pfft..”_

_“Hey! Answer my question!”_

_Bad looked at the sky. He could feel Skeppy’s intense glaring from his side and imagining a little pout to his face. The demon let out a hum._

_“Well, I'll obviously look for you!”_

_“Even if it kills you?”_

_“Yup.”_

_Skeppy gasped and snapped his head toward Bad._

_“BAD!”_

_“What?!”_

_“You can’t just—How did you just—you’re not supposed to answer that easily!” Skeppy giggled._

_“Well, you’re my best friend!”_

_“That’s not a good reason--!”_

_“Hey! You’re probably going to say the same thing if I ask that!”_

_Skeppy only laughed, soon followed by Bad._

_Bad was right._

* * *

Sapnap bits his lip.

He knew what he had to said, he knew that Bad deserved to know, and he knew that Bad will found out sooner or later. It was at the tip of his tongues, ready to flow out anytime. But, an egoistic side of him wished to postpone it, keep it hidden from Bad. Bad does not need to know, no, Sapnap does not want Bad to know, he reasoned with himself.

His sweaty palms grip the edge of the white roof; his knuckles resembled the pale materials. He took a deep breath. ‘Just do it in one go. Yeah. Like ripping off a band-aid.’

“Sam and Ponk found a way to reverse the transformation done by the egg.” 

Sapnap waits for a moment, waiting for a response. Hearing nothing, he continues. 

“It’s only a theory, but Sam said that there is a chance to make Skeppy, well, blue again.” 

A deep breath. 

“He had sent a message to Technoblade, asking to bring Skeppy to Sam’s house.”

Sapnap let go of his breath. He could hear his heartbeat thumping in his ears, too quick to be considered normal. With dread in his heart, he cautiously turns to face Bad whilst guessing the demon’s reaction. Will be shocked? Happy? Mad? Or sad? 

His questions were soon answered when he saw Bad. His head resting against his knees whilst his arms hugged around his legs. A little drool escapes his open mouth and his eyes tightly shut. 

Bad is sleeping.

A vein popped in Sapnap’s forehead, as his emotions stumbled between the line of annoyance and relief. Never had he found himself having the strong urge to either hit his friend in the head or to just be relieved at the situation.

‘Gosh darn it, Bad.’

Sapnap sigh and closed his eyes. He should tell Bad when he woke up in the morning. Bad deserved his rest.

_Skin as white as snow and lips as blue as the sky. Even for someone like him, it was not in any way, a normal sight._

_The man, who was despised and had carried him here, looked at them with a stoic cold expression. Yet, it could not hide the worries that were radiating from his jade eyes._

_“He’s lucky.”, the man took a deep breath, “I was passing by.”_

Sapnap opens his eyes again to gaze at Bad.

‘He doesn’t need to know.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School is starting soon, so I'm just here to announce that this book update will be inconsistent. I will update whenever a new chapter is ready. But, I will try to make sure that every week there will be an update. Anyway, hope you enjoy the new chapter!
> 
> Feel free to give me critiques on my works, and how I can improve in my further works!


	3. Chapter 3

The bottle sparkled under the glowstone, almost beautifully, whilst the liquid inside swirled. The yellow lightning complement the golden-brown substance that creates an illusion that it was real gold. It is as beautiful as its promises of detachment from reality and euphoria; that what had enchanted others into taking a sip off the bottle. Yet, Bad remains firm on his principle, and not even the most expensive drinks could persuade him to think otherwise.

“No.”

Bad stood on his mansion porch, holding his blanket closer around him. Bad saw how his friends’ disappointment flashed upon their eyes. It would have made him guilty and take back his words, but these are his friends. Bad knew how they play their cards. “As I said before, I don’t drink alcohol.”

The three adult males continued to frown and began to slump their shoulders. One of them started to whimper, one of them pouted, and another just used his puppy eyes to his advantage. Bad gulped. Just because he knew, it does not mean he is immune to their games.

“C’mon, Bad. I just want to accompany you, since you seem a little lonely. Like a good friend, you know?” Quackity averted his eyes to the ground, “But I guess you just don’t like my company.” That renders Bad speechless. He was about to counter the Mexican’s statement and comfort him when another voice cut him off.

“Yeah, Bad! Look! You make him cry!”, Sapnap pesters on.

“Bad, how could you?.”, Antfrost added on whilst continue to ‘comfort’ Quackity.

Three pair of eyes pinning him against his doors and Bad gulped as guilt rushed through his veins.

‘Dang it.’

* * *

“Sapnap~!”

Quackity hollered along with the other two at their intoxicated friend. His head hurts a little and his mind a little fuzzy, maybe the two reasons he founded his friend’s drunk whining hilarious at the moment. His eyes lazily turned toward the demon who was leaning at the couch; from the looks of it, Bad is close to passing out. Someone will need to carry him to his room later, or they could let him rest on the couch instead. 

The Mexican sigh, the couch is not that bad. 

He looked over at Bad and saw the drunken look the demon had. Oh, he would not stop teasing him when he is sober in the morning. He could imagine how embarrassed the demon would be when the three of them gather around by the kitchen, pestering him relentlessly. 

_“Leave me alone, Bad.”_

Being drunk made his mind wander through weird places. Through pleasant and unpleasant memories, through dark and wonderful thoughts; the possibilities are endless. Quackity sighed and averted his eyes toward the ceilings. He did not notice how his friend’s voice went silent or how the world went a little darker. The next thing he knew, he was not in the living room anymore.

_Bad stood in the doorway. Quackity had known that Bad had a tall figure, but never had he felt so intimidated by it until now. Maybe, he was just never intimidated by it since Bad was just so nice to everyone, or maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him._

_The footstep was cautious and was louder than before. It did not take a genius to figure out that he was closer to him. And despite the thumping of his heart and the ragged breathings, Quackity let him closer. Occasionally, he would take a peek at his Hotbar to make sure that his sword was always within his reach._

_Then Bad stopped, right in front of him. Quackity’s hand clenched against the air, his sword ready to be pulled out of his inventory any time he wished. And suddenly, the footsteps disappear._

_“Hey, Quackity.”_

_“Fuck off.”_

_Shuffling. Then a thump. Then silence._

_“Hey.”_

_Quackity pulls out his sword from his inventory, directing it to Bad’s neck. Fortunately, Bad has sat in front of the man so that Quackity did not need to look up when his damp black orbs made contact with Bad’s; silently, half-expecting to find red orbs with bloodlust swimming underneath it. Just like **his** eyes._

_“C-can you, uhm,… put away the sword?”_

_“You’ll kill me.”_

_Bad stay silent and gazed right into his eyes. Quackity did not know what he was searching for or what his mind try to confirm, perhaps a malicious intent or maybe a wave of hidden anger. But, he found nothing._

_His sword was back in his inventory._

_Bad smiled at him and he averted his gaze at the ground. Why is Bad here? Why is he not with Skeppy? He was probably here since Skeppy was busy with other stuff. Yes, Bad was only here since he needs a replacement. Otherwise, why would he be here? Quackity was the person who annoyed him, push his buttons, and tested his limit._

_Warmth. Quackity felt warmth engulf him, and only then he noticed the arms wrapping themselves around him. Bad was hugging him._

_It was just a simple hug. People hugged him every day. Bad give people hug every day. Then, what is this sickening feeling on his throat? Why were his tears slipping? Why wasn’t he pushing him away?_

_The answers came crashing to him like an avalanche, and he could not possibly stop the emotions from tumbling out through his screams. And through the ear-deafening sound and painful tug, Bad kept his hold against the younger._

_For once, in the last twenty-two hours after he lost his second life, he felt safe._

Murmurs in the distance pull him back to reality. It was hard to decipher anything in his intoxicated state. 

“You and Bad had nothing in common, y’know?”, he heard Sapnap murmured under the breath, “It’s amazing that you are so close to one another.” 

Quackity let out a chuckle, a little slurred from the fatigue that was slowly creeping up his body. He could feel Antfrost and Sapnap staring at him, but he paid no attention to that. Instead, he chose to turn his attention to the sleeping man in front of him. 

“Shocking, right?”

Quackity took a last sip of the bottle and placed the empty container on the coffee table. He sighed and leaned his head against the couch, remembering the night when he found Bad in his room. 

Quackity recalled how the body trembled in the darkroom. He remembers how cold to the touch his skin was when he had embraced the demon. How the demon had cried into his shoulder the way he had once to the demon. How the demon had held him far too tightly for comfort, and the tiny whimpers against his sweater. 

It was at that moment, Quackity realized, ‘We’re not as different as you guys thought we are.’

Quackity feels dark spots entering his mind and logic seemed to left him. 

‘We hate being alone.’

* * *

The first thing that Bad registered when he opened his eyes is the loud knocking sound against his oak doors. The rhythm matched the pounding in his head that made his mood sourer by every passing second.

“Coming!”

The knocking continues to resonate through the room. Bad groaned in annoyance as he began to reluctantly sit up on the couch; he let his body fully wake up and start to notice his surroundings. First, the air reeks of alcohol. Second, many empty bottles are scattered around the area. Third, his three friends are all passed out across the room.

Bad let out another groan and slowly walk toward the door; he fears that the person could break his door down with how loud the knocking sound. Whoever behind the door must have been impatient. ‘It’s probably Velvet.’, he chuckled, remembering the last time Ant had spent the night in the mansion without telling his boyfriend.

The door creaked in against the quartz floor. He flinched at the bright light entering his eyes. There was certainly a figure in front of the door, but he could not see their face. His mind was a little fuzzy from passing out last night.

“What is it—!”

A sudden force pushed him backward. Fortunately, he had a good grip on the door, or else he would have a massive bruise on his back. He was about to complain at the figure for the sudden hug when a familiar voice cut him off.

“BAD! I MISSED YOU!”

The demon blinked. Once. Then twice.

He looked down at the figure in his arms, and he was met with the chocolate milky eyes he was so used to see in the past. One that had sparkles of joy and hidden mischief underneath it.

“Skeppy?”

Skeppy only smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realised. This is supposed to be an angst story of sort, and I didn't even put any angst tags-- Lmao. I've added it now, so people can be warned. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you like it! And thanks for all your comments! I appreciated it all <3!
> 
> P.S. Sorry if some of the character's personality are off from their canon one. T ^ T


	4. Chapter 4

The situation they are in is weird, at least it is for Bad. After all, Bad had believed that the Skeppy he knew three years ago will never be back. He had struggled with the last three years trying to let go of Skeppy. When he had finally learned to fully move on, Skeppy appeared before his doorstep and hugged him, claiming that he had missed the demon. Now, the man is sitting in front of him, holding the smile he grew familiar with once. 

“Here you go.” The cup slide from his hand to the tan boy’s. 

“Thanks.”

Bad forced a smile against his awkward stature and walk to sat across from the man. He wrapped his fingers around his coffee and let out a sigh at the warmth; his hands are always cold in the morning. The dark warm liquid swirl in the glass as it steams up to unleash a calming familiar smell around the room that Bad very much need after the event that unfolds minutes prior. 

His gaze wanders upward; letting it fell against the tan boy who ever so casually sit across him. Despite his physical changes, Skeppy remains the same as the boy he had known three years ago; a sense of déjà vu crawl down his spine.

It reminds him of their morning, where the demon would cook them breakfast and pour some coffee. Skeppy will be very chirpy in the morning, whilst Bad a little sleepy before his morning coffee; thus, Skeppy will swing his legs and hold a smile as he chats about nonsense Bad would never bother to listen while occasionally sipping from his cup. His cheerful demeanor will slowly affect Bad, and finally, the two will began chatting away or argue regarding the stupidest topic their fresh mind had. For Bad, it was an endearing memory of the past. 

Skeppy remained the same. Yet, Bad no longer found interest in the weird topic that Skeppy came up with despite had been fully awake the moment Skeppy went through the door. He no longer was affected by Skeppy cheerfulness that riled him up into a playful argument between the two. He no longer found the moment endearing, and rather awkward instead. Bad knew something had changed between the two and, even when he denies it, he knows the answer. 

‘I changed.’, Bad sighed and took a sip of his coffee, ‘Physical and personality-wise.’

“So, how are you doing?”

Bad quickly looked up, having just snapped back to reality at Skeppy’s voice, before nervously muttering ‘good’ under his breath. He knows Skeppy was unsatisfied with his answer from the huff and silence that followed after them. 

“I’ve been busy with the upcoming party,” Bad reluctantly direct them to a topic, “Since the whole war thing, I thought it might be nice to host a party here, at Badlands. Just to lessen the tension.” 

Skeppy beamed at the answer; even after three years, he was still like an open book to Bad.

“That’s great!”

“Yeah.”

Then, it was back to silence. Bad let out another sigh and let his gaze back to the coffee on his hand. It is half-empty. 

“Anyway, I was kinda shocked when they tell me that I was red.”, the tan boy let out a weak chuckle, “Like literally, all red, and yeah. I didn’t believe them at first since, y’know, blue is my thing. Until, I saw my red clothing… like literally… it’s covered in red.” 

The topic finally interests Bad, and Skeppy beamed. The tan hands slightly tugged at his collar, “Sam said it’s contaminated or something. So, they lend me this ‘hazmat suit’, but it’s kinda itchy.”

“I see.”, Bad gazed at the purple fabric and recognizing the blessed product of the prime church. 

Skeppy gazes around the room for a moment, before landing his eyes on his best friend. His dark orbs quickly made contact with Bad’s emerald one, before it quickly averted itself toward their coffee. Skeppy huffed once again. 

Similar to Bad, Skeppy knew that the demon had changed. It did not take a genius to notice the long brown locks tied to the back, the sharper horns, and the calmer and more authoritative aura that the demon had. It made him look less of a harmless demon and more of a mature leader of a faction; Skeppy thought the characteristics do not fit Badboyhalo. 

Nevertheless, he is here not to judge and criticize his friend's choice since he is Bad’s best friend and best friends respect each other choices. He is here to spend time with his best friend instead, like how they used to spend time with each other. Eating breakfast together, watching the scenery at night on their mansion roof, walking around the SMP with Bad following him around, and many more. The thought made Skeppy smile. 

But first, he needs to get out of these stupid clothes. 

“Bad, do, do you have like, some of my old clothes? Like the blue one?” Bad was quite lost at first but then began to piece together for Skeppy’s request and nodded. “Yeah, I do. I think I kept it in the storage room.” 

The younger tilted his head. “Storage Room?” 

“Mhm. I kinda had to pack away your stuff, since I thought, y’know, you’re not returning and someone was moving in here and, yeah. Sorry.” Skeppy only nods with slight discomfort on his face. Bad’s words sounded as if he had given up on Skeppy and that stings a little. 

The demon seems to be oblivious to the change in his expression and stood up from his position. Yet before they manage to step a foot off the kitchen, a loud crash resonates from the hallway followed by a loud cursing from an oddly familiar voice. The two looked toward the source and raised their eyebrow at the scene unfolding before them. 

‘Antfrost was lying flat to the quartz floor, under Quackity who was squished under Sapnap.’, were the first sentence formed in Bad’s mind. ‘They were eavesdropping our conversation and fell.’ That was the second thing formed in the demon’s mind.

The demon had a hard time holding his laughter in.

* * *

Quickly after the short fiasco, Ant was picked up by a scowling Velvet. Then, Sapnap had decided to went home. None of the two had interested Skeppy much, until Quackity had mentioned he will be returning to **his** room, on the second floor. The thought sets an uncomfortable feeling on his stomach. The second floor was where his and Bad’s room used to be. 

When Bad had said he got a new roommate, he had thought it would be someone close to him. Perhaps Sapnap, George, Antfrost, or any others that Skeppy knew was very close to Bad. It had never crossed his mind the possibility of the Mexican to be his roommate. 

“So, Quackity is your new roommate?”

Bad hums in approval as the demon continue to rummage through the chests. Skeppy frown at the lack of reaction from Bad. As far as he recalls, Bad had strongly disliked the Mexican, so what is this with the sudden change of behavior?

“Here we go!”

Bad pulls out a stack of fabric from the chest and turned around with a smile. The sight of the familiar blue object made him smile and he quickly stored it away in his inventory. Yet, it quickly disappeared when he cannot help to think about the fact that Quackity is Bad’s new roommate. Something about it made Skeppy’s stomach churn in discomfort and evoking a sense of danger in his mind. 

The feeling continues to retain in him even when Bad had already given him all his clothes, even when he had walked out of the mansion, and even when he had laid on his bed that night. 

Skeppy let out a sigh, rolling over to pull the cover over him. He told himself to rest his mind and let it deal with the new uncomfortable feeling when dawn arrives tomorrow, even though a little voice in him screamed the answer to him. 

‘No way I am jealous.’, Skeppy would tell the little voice that night, ‘Because I’m a good friend. And a good friend will not be jealous over petty things like that.’

That night, Skeppy dreams of Quackity and Bad messing around with each other in the mansion, so comfortably as if they were friends for ages. Meanwhile, he stood in the snowy biome, alone and red from head to toe. He was not in control of his movement, as he walked away from the view and toward the empty white plain. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! School had started for me, so I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter! I kinda admit, there won't be a lot of feels in this one, since the is some kind of a filler chapter. But anyway, I hope you guys a nice day! or night! 
> 
> If you have some question, feel free to ask in the comment section!


	5. Chapter 5

“So what do you think?”

Sam and Callahan did outdo his expectations; especially that he had given them a very vague description to work on, mostly telling them to take reference of the old Dream SMP community house and to make it bigger. 

The community house, similar to its predecessor, is mostly made out of bricks and woods. To accommodate all of the SMP’s members, they had ensured to make the first floor larger than before with more rooms and a second floor for those who want to stay there; it is just an emergency backup plan in case the Badlands’ members houses cannot shelter all the visiting people. 

Bad had visited the construction site intending to help, thinking that Sam and Callahan will be overwhelmed with the task he had handed them. They never needed his help at all in the first place. 

The demon let out a sigh under his breath and let a grin creep up his face. “It’s amazing. Just add a few more plants here and there and add some furniture, then we will be all prepared for the party.” Gently, he patted his two trusted builders in the back. 

Sam grins at him while Callahan only nods before the two went back to finishing their work. 

“Badboyhalo.”, the demon turned on his heels, and a smile adorns his face. “DropsbyPonk. What brings you here today?”

Ponk nods, his eyes trail behind Bad and whistles. “Nice.” Bad let out a chuckle, “I know, Callahan and Sam are the best.” 

“Yeah, but I need to talk to you, it’s urgent.” 

Bad’s smile falls and he, slowly ushering Ponk to walk toward a more secluded area. 

Every member of the Badlands had been assigned a specific job which mostly fits their talent by Bad. It is undeniable that Callahan and Awesamdude have extraordinary talent in building and redstone, thus Bad assign them with the buildings. Similar to Sapnap and Quackity with their rowdy behavior, they had been assigning to collect resources from the Nether and mines; Sapnap even took personal enjoyment in hunting for Netherite. 

Even though Ponk is not a part of them, Bad knew he has a deep interest in the paranormal and rituals. He loves to investigate all the weird things in the SMP and conduct strange rituals that science cannot explain. Thus, that is why he had asked the man to work together with Sam in investigating the Egg. Anything that comes from him will always be related to the Egg, whether it will good or bad; considering the grim look on his face, it was not good news this time. 

“Punz reported that the vines on his tower grew.” Bad flinches, “I had checked. It’s either his mind playing tricks on him or that the vines had only grown a little.” Ponk's gaze fell at the demon that stood by his side. 

“When did it start?”, Bad stopped at his track as soon as they are out of hearing distance. He returns Ponk’s gaze; it is a rare occasion for one to see the stoic look in the demon’s eyes. 

“Soon after Skeppy was back to blue.” the man averted his eyes, sighing, “I think we need talk with the others about this, soon.”

Bad nods and close his eyes to think. Most of the members of Badlands had been busy with the upcoming party, which includes Sapnap and Quackity hunting for food, Antforst and Velvet preparing for materials for the furniture, and Sam and Callahan busy with the community house. If he were to add the problem regarding the egg to the list, they would be overwhelmed. 

“Everyone is occupied with the party.” Bad looks back at the shorter man, “Still, inform Punz to report any other changes. Send a message to Puffy and Eret to bring a pair of the Church’s Primes clothes.” Bad sighed. “Just in case.”

Ponk nods and the two began walking again, “Ah, there’s something else I need to ask you.”

Bad frowns at the serious look Ponk is giving him.

“Can I bring alcohol—”

“No.”

“Why not?!”

Ponk look at the demon in disbelief, whilst Bad only rolled his eyes. Here he thought that Ponk was about to dish out another bad news about Badlands. Considering there are some members under the drinking age that will be attending the party, the answer is obviously no.

“Do you really want me to list all the reasons?”

The shorter man huffs and turns away; Bad could only sigh. Knowing the man, he will certainly sneak some alcohol into the party. The demon can only hope that none of the underage members will be drinking any of it, accidentally nor purposefully. 

“Anyway, still about the party.” Bad give him a warning glare and Ponk yields with a nervous smile. “I just want to ask about **him**.” 

Ah, the same topic was brought up again. 

The demon could see the man furrowing his eyebrows under his mask. He would not blame him, after all, **he** was never a good person in the past. 

“Are you sure about inviting him?”

Bad shrugs.

“Yup. Despite the bad deeds he had done in the past, he still was—”

“BAD!”

A sudden force pushes the demon and cutting his speech, making his unprepared self stumbles forward. Soon, an unfamiliar pair of hands wrap themselves around his body; the sudden physical contact made him flinch in fear as the unknown stranger invades his personal space. 

“Bad?”

Bad quickly twists his head toward the source of the voice, quickly his eyes made contact with a pair of brown orbs. Slowly, his body calms and his racing heart steadies. ‘It’s just Skeppy.’, the demon let out a sigh before carefully removing Skeppy from his form. 

“Don’t do that again.” Skeppy huffs, “You know I’m never good with surprises.” 

The tan boy only pouts and Bad cannot stop his eyes from rolling. “So, what brings you here, Skeppy?”

“I just want to spend time with you. You’re not busy, right?”

Bad looks at Ponk, who only shrugs and walks away. He knew that the man was not satisfied with the demon’s reply to his question, but still willing to wait for another day for the demon’s answer. The demon nods. 

“Yup. So, what you have in mind?”

Skeppy grins. 

* * *

_As long as Skeppy had recalled, Bad had always been a good friend for him. He was the kind of person who will always put others before himself; the type to say ‘yes’ to everything, well mostly everything, people requested of him. Especially toward his best friend._

_And Skeppy, being the best of a best friend to Bad, took full advantage of that._

_Such is in the current circumstance, where Bad had been busy the past few days dealing with his new statue room to even spend time with him. They barely spend time with each other anymore to the point that they only talk during breakfast. Skeppy could not just accept that._

_“I want saaaaaaaaaand!”_

_Bad groaned in annoyance as he placed the last piece of the stone block in the podium. The demon quickly snapped his head toward the younger and pointed harshly at the chest behind him._

_“Skeppy! There is some sand in the chest! You can take it!”_

_“I don’t want that one!”_

_Skeppy did a tiny cheer inside himself at Bad’s huff._

_“Fine! Let’s get you one outside!”_

_Skeppy quickly wiped away his crocodile tears and stood up confidently at the statement; as if he did not just bawl his eyes out minute priors, he grinned at Bad and quickly pulled the said man toward the surface. Despite the nonstop complaining, the demon did not fight back nor does he tried to hide away the smile in his voice._

_It was nice._

_Being someone’s top priority that is, in his case, he is Bad’s top priority._

_He enjoys the way that Bad had left behind his works for Skeppy's stupid request for sand. He enjoys the way Bad had searched for cow across the server for a bucket of milk that Skeppy had bawled out for that one time. He enjoys the attention Bad gave him every time he let his crocodile tears flew down his cheek._

_It was nice._

_The assurance that no matter what happens, Bad would always put him first._

_And likewise, Bad will always be his top priority. They would never say ‘no’ to each other, they will always be there for each other, and they will always be together._

_Best friends. Forever._

_It made him feel precious, like a treasure. Something worthy for someone._

_It made him feel motivated. Giving adrenaline to push him forward every day._

_It made him feel alive._

* * *

“Get away!”

Laughter filled the air as the demon rolled on the ground by the lake. He could care less about dirtying his cloak. How could you not laugh when your friend is as silly as Skeppy? 

“O-oh my goodness! W-what were y-you th-inking?!” 

Bad wipes away the tears from the corner of his eyes before gazing upward at Skeppy. 

The tan boy had a bright idea to grab a duckling whilst it was in the middle of swimming, catching it in his hands softly. But of course, it was just a duckling, a child of a mother; similar to other children, it would be frightened when a stranger decided to grasp it. It will consider the stranger a threat and panic despite the stranger having no ill intent. Thus, it leads to this current situation where Skeppy is stuck on top of a tree, hiding away from the angry mother duck that tries to peck his butt off. 

“D-don’t just stand there! Help me, Bad!”

“Alright, alright…”

It takes quite an effort for Bad to finally calm himself down and recollect his thoughts. It took a while to fend off an angry mother duck, but the demon successfully does so in the end. Bad has to hold in his snickers when Skeppy reluctantly climbs down the tree. He finally laughs when Skeppy shot him a glare. 

“That was not funny.”

“It is!”

At that moment, Skeppy cannot help to smile when a wave of nostalgia washes over him. This smile slowly turns to laughter that echoes through the silent lake. 

He feels as if they were back three years ago, before the whole thing with the red egg. When it was just him and Bad, playing along the shore and laughing like little children without any concern of the war. It was as if nothing had changed in the first place. No. Nothing did change.

It had always been him and Bad in the past. And now, it will still be him and Bad. 

“BAD!”

In an instant, Skeppy’s smile drops, and his mood turns a little sour. His eyes fall toward the Mexican that appeared behind the demon and had his hand draped over the taller. Skeppy had to force a smile to his face. 

“What do you want now, Mr. Quackity?”

Bad rolled his eyes. His body slightly bends forward in an awkward position due to the other’s height, yet he does not make any effort to pry the arm off him. His annoyance increases as he saw the other grins mischievously. 

“I got something to show you, Boy!”

The tan boy had a bad feeling about this, especially seeing how Bad seems conflicted. 

Bad is a kind person, who would never say ‘no’ to most things people had requested of him; an exception toward his best friend, he always says ‘yes’. Skeppy knows of this and he knows it would be a selfish thought if he wishes his friend to say ‘no’ to Quackity’s request; after all, Quackity is Bad’s friend. 

But he could not help to wish so.

“Fine.”

Skeppy’s stomach churns at Quackity’s widening grin. The voice slowly began to blend into the background, incomprehensible against a thousand thoughts rushing through his mind. He did catch whispers of Bad’s promise to return quickly. But his mind refuses to focus on that. 

Instead, it focuses on the hand that grasps tightly on Bad’s wrist. It pulls Bad away from Skeppy, against the many complaints Bad has exclaimed. Such a hypocrite when he shows no struggles to pull his hand away, neither shows any effort to hide away the smile on his face.

The sight is familiar to Skeppy, far too familiar. Once, he had glanced at the sight in a reflection of the water when he and his best friends would run along the shore of the lake, looking for sand. 

Three years ago. When it was not Quackity who pulls on the demon’s wrist. When it had been him. 

Skeppy only scoffs and walks toward the opposing direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I may have overwritten this chapter. But, again, I still hope you guys enjoy my works! 
> 
> To be honest, I didn't expect this story to get that many hits! Like, dude! 450 hits is insane!
> 
> Again, thank you for reading my story, and I hope you enjoy it :).


	6. Chapter 6

When Awesamdude had told him that there is a way to revert the transformation that had been inflicted on Skeppy, he was glad to finally have a reason to kick the man out of his house. That may sound rude at first glance, but if your roommate has glowing eyes, acted weirdly, and made you anxious all the time in your house, you would have thought the same as him. Yes, ‘Skeppy’ was less insufferable than his usual self and was actually productive, but it was not worth the daily heart attacks the man gives him.

So, no thanks.

That was why the anarchist was so eager to quickly travel down to Badlands. In a rush of euphoria, he even agreed to attend the upcoming party and help in fixing the farming system in the said faction; even though it was against his principle to not help the government, he could care less. 

Technoblade had seen the process from start to finish, then saw Skeppy waking up in a confused state and complaining about his clothes, and finally Skeppy rushing to Bad’s mansion; at that last moment, Technoblade was overjoyed to finally be able to claim back the privacy of his house. Alone. Perfect for his social anxiety.

“Like, dude! How can he just do that to me?!”

‘Then, why is he here?!’

The anarchist rolls his eyes again as he attempts to focus on the potato farm, which is failing miserably due to certain someone’s distraction. A few days ago, Skeppy had gone back from the mansion with a load of laundry and a sour mood, then proceeded to declare that Techno will be the victim of all his ranting. He had even had the gut to declare that he will be staying at the same temporary house as Techno without even asking for the later permission.

“Are you even listening to me?!”

“Never did.”

In his defense, Techno had never agreed to do so in the first place. He can feel the intense glare Skeppy give him but pay no mind to that. He has other matters to think of after all, like this failing potato farm. He needs to get this done before sundown, so he could check out the mine near Badlands that, according to Sapnap, had a lot of resources. He could use some more iron and gold. 

Out of nowhere, a cold force suddenly makes contact with his head, snapping him out of his flashback. The anarchist rubies eyes meet with a pair of chocolate milk ones when he turns his head; despite the burning fire in Skeppy’s eyes, Techno did not even flinch. Instead, he gives the man a confused look. 

It is not like Skeppy can do anything to him. He is Technoblade after all. 

The anarchist begins to wonder if he had zoned out again in the middle of Skeppy’s ranting. 

“A snowball?”

Not satisfied with the reaction, Skeppy only rolls his eyes and groan. Turning on his heels and away from the field. He concludes that he indeed had zoned out.

“You’re the worst.”

Technoblade did a tiny cheer within himself when Skeppy was gone. 

* * *

_ Dream had always been a very professional person; his cold and straight-forward words, his slicked dirty blonde hairs, and even his cloak that lack and wrinkles despite the heavy snowstorm. It had always a wonder to Techno how the man was able to maintain the smooth look when his own cloak was always wrinkled despite being fresh off the laundry.  _

_ So, Techno found it amusing when he saw the man in such a wild state that night. The dirty blonde locks were flying everywhere, the cloak was covered in snow and mud, and his breath was ragged.  _

_ “Where is he?” _

_ Techno raised an eyebrow. Chills going down his spine when his eyes made contact with Dream’s jade orbs. _

_ An unexpected interaction considering the man usually hides them under his porcelain mask and even then, they would not be able to hold that look. A flaming gaze with burning hatred swimming underneath; it almost glowed in the darkness of his house and if possible, will burn anyone that it sees.  _

_ ‘A look of a mad man.’ Techno swallowed his saliva, ‘Full of bloodlust.’ _

_ Shame to say, Techno is familiar with those kinds of looks. In fact, he had witnessed it and had held the same gaze a long time ago. He still recalled the ugly reflection of the wild red eyes and the horrendous feelings within him. Rage that scorched his common sense to ashes, voices that thirst the screams of his enemies, and the strong desire to spill the blood of those who had hurt his friend.  _

_ In the end, his enemies’ corpses were beyond recognizable. Even if he was known as a cold person, he still would like to avoid the same thing from happening again. _

_ “Who?” _

_ Techno inquires, wondering who was the precious person the admin hold dear that when their hurt could unleash such madness within the admin. _

_ Was it George? No, it is impossible. The rift between the two had been too wide to the point they were on the opposing faction. Sapnap? The two of them are even further apart. So, who could inflict such emotion from the admin--? _

_ Oh.  _

_ Right.  _

_ Techno hardened his stare.  _

_ Teeth clenched, knuckles white, eyes glinting. The hatred set ablaze in the middle of the cold biome. Dream spoke with venom dripping at every syllable.  _

_ “Where is Skeppy?” _

* * *

If Techno can return to that night, he would have hand Skeppy over to Dream just to having to sit here, listening to the said man ranting about his friend leaving him for some other guy like a high school girl.

It had taken Technoblade the whole day to finish the whole farm; he would have been finished sooner if not for the extra distraction. With a sore muscle and a tired mind, the anarchist would like to do nothing aside from showering and sleeping. 

But of course, Skeppy needed someone to rant to; that someone also must be Technoblade, the one person who cannot sleep unless he is in complete silence. Thus, with a heavy heart and a sleepy mind, Techno stays awake past midnight to listen to the younger ranting. 

If it was not for the stupid ‘non-PVP area’ rule, Skeppy would have been dead beyond recognizable. 

“And he just left! Like--! Dude!”

“Do you really have to rant in the middle of the night? To me out of all people?”

Skeppy rolls his eyes. 

“Fine. I’ll stop after this one.”

“You said the same thing five minutes ago.”

“I swear it’s the last one.”

“You also said it ten minutes ago.”

He continued on for another hour. 

Techno groans and attempts to cover his ears with his pillow, which is failing as the annoying voice continues to echoes in his room. 

He really hopes that his friend and Bad fix whatever problem is between them. Then maybe, he can have a good night's sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, sorry if this chapter is bad compared to the other. I'll admit that writing this one chapter had been a struggle. It didn't help that I had both art's and writer's block at the exact same week. But still, I hope you enjoy the new chapter and I promise we are nearing the climax. Next--
> 
> BADLANDS VILLAIN ARC! Like oh my god, I did NOT see that coming, like Bad being the bad guy and all. FFF-- I can't wait for the next stream-- I do hope that Skeppy is still red, like how cool would it be if the both of them become a tyrant that took over the SMP. 
> 
> AND 600 hits and nearing 60 kudos! Thanks a lot guys! I did not expect this to blow up this big XD.


	7. Chapter 7

_Demons are born to live in the nether. They are used to the heat of the scorching biome. Thus, their body adapted to the condition where it remains cold as their habitat provides the warmth their body needed. Even if a demon was to live in a biome that lacks those heat, their body will remain cold._

_So Bad, a demon born to live in the nether, always remain cold. During summer, it was a blessing to him and his friends; Dream used to huddle together around him on the peak of the season and sigh at the feelings of cold against his warm skin. During winter, it was a horrible curse; even under five feet of blankets, the cold will still nip his toes and the demon would occasionally shiver. It was not even snowing in the SMP._

_So, imagine the shock that coursed through Dream’s mind when he found his friend in the pile of snow. He only wore his armor and his usual clothing; the cloak was a bit thicker than his usual one, but Dream was sure that it would barely do anything against the harsh snowstorm._

_His body moved quicker than his mind and before he knew it, he was already huddling the shorter to his body. ‘Cold. Cold. Cold.’ Bad’s body was cold, too cold even for his kind. Dream had to do something. He could not lose him, the last person that genuinely cares about him, his last friend. ‘Warm. Warm. Warm.’ Dream needed to warm the man up. Again, his body moves faster and his hands are quick to take off his green cloak to cover the demon._

_Relief washed over him when a puff of smoke emitted from the demon’s blue trembling lips. The admin wasted no time to quickly hoist the demon’s body and started running. He just hoped that all the years he had spent on speedrunning will help him._

_“D-dream?”_

_The voice was weak, raspy, and so unlike his friend. If it was not for the unique pitch it had, the admin would have not been able to recognize the demon’s voice._

_“Hey, hey Bad. It’s me. It’s me.”_

_Dream looked down at his friend’s jade eyes; the usual lush green of leaves replaced by a duller one that belongs to death. He hated it. Neglecting the prickling cold through his thin layer of clothing, he moved his feet faster against the snow. Cold hands wrapped tighter against the demon’s body._

_Instead of finding comfort, Bad struggled against Dream’s grip. Though, it did not do much considering the weak state the demon was in._

_“P-put me down.”, Dream glanced at him as if he was crazy. “N-need to l-look for S-skeppy.”_

_The admin almost stumbled on his path, before shifting his gaze back on the road beyond him. His body was navigating its way across the terrain as if it was his second nature, whilst his mind elsewhere trying to process the words of his friends. In the end, only a single word was uttered in a whisper._

_“Why?”_

_The question had been lingering in the admin's mind. ‘Why. Why. Why.’ Why would Skeppy, the so-called best friend of the demon, would send the guy to a snowy biome? In the middle of a snowstorm that is? The admin gritted his teeth and clench against the fabric of his cloak. If this is some kind of cruel joke the man is playing, Dream will never forgive him._

_“Mm..promise. Look. Skeppy.”_

_‘You idiot. You’re going to die. I cannot lose you. You’re my last friend after George and Sapnap left me. I got no one else aside from you. My friend. My brother. Please. Please. Please. Please. Survive. Don’t leave me.’_

_Many things he wished to say to the demon. Yet, his lungs only allow him to say a single sentence. “You’ll kill yourself.” Dream croaks against his heavy breaths. Anger and desperation swirled in the admin’s mind, forming a tear that dripped against the demon’s skin._

_“He would have done the same thing.”_

_Bad fell limp on Dream’s hold; that was enough to send another rush of adrenaline coursing through his body, pushing his feet to move faster. He needed to get Bad back with the others as soon as possible. He needed to make sure his only friend is okay. He needed to see him alive and well._

_And after that, he will have a nice chat with Skeppy._

* * *

Badboyhalo had always been there for the admin. From the start of his career and through his golden era, Bad was there to cheer him on. From the start of his server and through the first war, Bad was there to support him. From the start of his obsession and through the rapid descent toward madness, Bad was there to stop him. Even until the lowest point of his life where he found himself alone, where his friends had left wounded by his actions, Bad was there to comfort him.

That is why Dream promised that he would do anything for the demon in return. But Dream had wished he declined the invitation to this party; the party where most of the attendees hate his gut.

It is terrifying.

Pairs of eyes staring at him the moment he entered the room, the whispers from all corners, and the hate that radiates in the atmosphere. Anxiety spreading all across his body, from the tips of his slick blonde hair to the end of his toes. It feels like standing on barren land with the sun piercing glare centered at him.

Dream dared himself to look up, which was the second worse decision he made that night aside from attending this party. Disgust, hatred, hurt, and even disappointment; they swam beneath the watchful eyes and forced the admin to gaze back at the floor.

“Bad told you to wait here.”

The door clicks shut behind him and Sapnap appears right next to him. Despite the cold tone and the slight frown on the younger’s face, Dream was still grateful for the comforting words. Emerald eyes shifted from the young boy to the other side, one that is devoid of any glares.

“Where is he?”

“He’s with Punz. I think it’s about the blood vines.”

“Oh.”

Then, it was back to silence amongst them. Dream feet shifted and his mind busies itself trying to come up with a topic of conversation; it is a nice distraction against the whispers that float around the room.

It had been a while since he had talked to Sapnap and it had been far too long since they had a pleasant conversation with each other. Bad would often keep Dream up to date with news regarding Sapnap and George in the hope that it would cheer the admin up. Yes, it made him happy that his former friends were getting better in their lives; but it also brought in wave after wave of guilt for his past actions.

Dream trains of thought were suddenly stopped when a hushed silent fall upon the room, followed by heavy footsteps.

“Why is he here?”

‘Fuck.’

Dream swallows the lump on his throat and dares himself to look at the owner of the voice; it was his third-worst decision that night.

Blue clash with green, blazing fire against meek weeds, anger against fear. Tommy is certainly far from pleased to meet the admin here and Dream admits that the younger does have every right to do so. After all, the admin had destroyed his childhood.

“Hey, Tommy.” Dream force his lips upwards under his mask, “Well, I’m—”

“I’m not talking to you.” The harsh tone quickly silenced Dream. The ice-cold eyes drills hole through him and never had the admin seen such deep hatred in such young eyes. Fortunately, they shift toward the man on his side instead. “Why is he here?”

“Bad invited him.”

Tommy rolls his eyes at the man and turns toward the admin; a chill crawls down Dream’s spine at the younger’s gaze. Oh, how the table had turned against the admin. It took a while for Dream to regain his composure and to find the courage to speak to the boy; yet, he never had a chance to do so as the confidence quickly washes away by the shiny sword in front of him.

“Well, you’re not welcomed here, bitch.” Dream stumbles backward; a confused gaze falls toward the man next to him. He was told to store all his weapons in the ender chest before the party as it was part of the rules. Dream wonders if it is just a rule that Bad made specifically for him; yet, brushing it off quickly. At least until Sapnap, a member of the Badlands, quickly draw out his shield and axe.

“Tommy. Leave him alone.”

The tension in the air is heavy against his lungs, and for a moment of fear, Dream forgot how to breathe. His mind flickers between focus and blur on the scene that is happening beyond him. He can hear Tommy’s hateful scream; he can see the people gathering around them. God, he should not have come to the party in the first place.

Yet, it all suddenly stops. The voices stop. The tension drops. Tommy scoffs, Sapnap huffs, and Dream sighs in relief when his friend comes to his rescue.

“Stop.” Bad’s eyes are cold and stern. Fitting for a leader like him, and perfect to stop a fight between his member and a teenager. “Dream is my guest. All members of Badlands had agreed on letting him attend this party.”

Tommy's nose flares up and his face turns red, “Why? He doesn’t deserve to be here!” His shiny sword cuts the air with its pointy end toward the rest of the room. “Did you forget what he had done? What this bitch did to us? All those fuck up scheme he played on us? Did you fucked up your head or something Bad?”

Dream flinches at the younger’s words. Bad remains perfectly calm.

“Yes, he did all those things.” The demon eyes soften, “But everybody can change. You just need to give them a chance, Tommy.”

The answer is logical, yet unsatisfying to Tommy; Dream can see it by the way Tommy clenches his fist and about to complain again. The boy did not have a chance as Bad cuts him off.

“And, he also saved my life.”

That shuts the boy up. Dream sighs in relief as the ordeal seems to cease. Bad tells Tommy to put his sword on his ender chest, while Sapnap stores his weapon in his inventory; seems like the blonde had sneaked in the sword due to his rebellious nature. Dream smiles a little and begins to approach the demon when another figure had beat him to it.

“What do you mean by him saving your life?”

Dream gaze falls at the shorter man, almost making him growl. He hates how smug the man looks and how accusing his gaze is toward the demon.

“Huh? What do you mean, Skeppy?”

“You said he saved your life. Where you in danger?”

Skeppy squints his eyes at Bad.

“What are you not telling me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay-- that's a lot of hits and kudos-- But anyway, thanks for the 900 hits and 80 kudos guys! I'm glad you're enjoying this story so far. Sorry that this chapter took a long of time or if it is bad, but I do hope you guys enjoy it!


	8. Chapter 8

Two pair of footsteps echo in the silent night; one thumping angrily against the wooden path and another tripping against its splinters. Soft muttering laced with a thin layer of frustration follows after. The tan man will occasionally add yelp every time he trips, creating a thundering harmony in the serene nature.

“Bad-“

“What were you thinking?”

“Wait-“

Bad tightens his grip on the younger’s hands, pulling the two further away from the party. Anger hazes his mind and fury burns in his veins; it doubles over as the argument replays in his mind. The demon grits his teeth and clenched his free hand. He did not notice the soft tug of the younger nor did he hear the yelp from behind him.

“Why did you start the argument?”

“Bad, it hurt-“

“With Dream out of all people!”

“Stop!”

With a powerful tug, Skeppy manages to pull his hand away from the painful grip; this finally attracts the demon’s attention. For the first time in the last 5 minutes, green eyes meet with brown eyes. The foreign rage that swims underneath the lush green send chills crawling down Skeppy’s spine.

Bad’s eyes trail down to the younger’s hand where it rubs against the bruising skin. Guilt flashes and his eyes soften; for a moment, he feels pity for the younger. But, the scene at the party play in his mind, and his gaze hardens once again. He tugs his cloak tighter and let a puff of breath into the cold night.

“For the record, that bastard threatened me first.” Skeppy averts his gaze; even with rage begin to burn deep within him, he cannot bring himself to look at the demon’s eyes again. He does not wish to see the burning anger again. “I was just defending myself.”

“You’re not defending yourself, Skeppy! You’re just defending your pride—dang it!”

His voice cracks up at the end. A pale hand harshly brushes over the brown locks; an effort to calm his nerves down. Unfortunately, his effort fails. 

“You’re such a child! You could have just back down and end the conversation! Heck, maybe apologize and go back enjoying the party-- ”

Skeppy grits his teeth. His brown eyes snap back to the older and burns hole against the other’s skull.

“Why are you defending him?!”

Bad snaps his head back toward the younger; rage bubbles over once again in him as he catches a hint of anger in the brown eyes. How dare he interrupt his word? How dare he be angry at him? How dare he hold his gaze when he was the one at fault?

“What do you mean defending him?!”

“Well, for starter, you pushed all the mistake to me! As if I’m the only one who fucked up!”

“Because it is your fault! And people’s opinion of him is already bad enough! You only made it worst!”

Skeppy’s heart clenches and his blood boils.

This is so unfair. The way that Bad treats him right now is so unfair. All he did was worry about his best friend. Isn’t it normal for someone to worry about their best friend? Especially when they heard the said best friend almost died once?

Instead of being grateful or even sorry at Skeppy, Bad is angry at him.

Isn’t it normal that Skeppy wants to find out more about it? Heck, Bad should have told him in the first place, especially something crucial like almost dying. Betrayal settled deep within his gut and only grew worse when he noticed almost everyone seems to know about it, everyone but him.

Either it was the alcohol in his system or was it the betrayal he felt toward Bad, Skeppy cannot stop the next words from flowing out.

“Why the fuck you care so much about him?!” Skeppy keeps on speaking, not letting the demon reply, “Fuck, you care about him more than me! Am I not your friend?!”

The younger glares at the man across him.

“Guess, I might as well not be, seeing how you never had time for me! Always busy with Quackity, with Dream, and all those shitty excuses! Do you even care for me in the first place?”

“Does our friendship mean anything to you, Bad? You—”

“I almost died looking for you.”

Skeppy’s mind goes blank.

“What?”

* * *

Bad averts his gaze from the younger with words laced with venom and eyes filled with tears. His breath is as ragged as Skeppy’s was, yet this one filled with hurt instead of jealousy. Chills crawl down Skeppy’s spine as guilt began to settles in his gut.

Bad looks so hurt, so in pain, so vulnerable. His mind screams at him to do something, to take back everything he had said to the other. Grasp his arm, scream that he did not mean any of the painful words, say that it was only at the heat of the moment that he had said it.

Yet, his pride chains him to the ground. He did not do anything.

“I look for you in a snowy biome. The cold almost killed me. Dream was passing by and bring me back. I apologize for not telling you since I didn’t want you to feel guilty.”

The explanation was short, cold, and enough to give Skeppy an understanding of the big picture. Very different from how Bad will usually converse to him.

“I apologize if my action makes it seems as if I didn’t care much about you. I apologize that I seem to be busy with my other friends. I do care about you. You are my friend, my best friend. But you also need to know.”

Cold. Cold. Cold.

His eyes are so cold; glowing with hurt and hate under the moonlight. Another pang of guilt shot through Skeppy’s soul.

At that moment, Skeppy realized; there is nothing he could do to fix this.

“I had spent the last three years believing that you are gone, the Skeppy I knew as my best friend was gone. I mean, you move to Techonblade’s. I had to move on, I had to change, I had to grow up. Then, you appear in front of my doorstep thinking that nothing changes.”

“Bad-“

“Good night, Skeppy.”

Bad turned around and walked off, disappearing from his sight into the shadow of the night. He did not turn back, and he did not wait for Skeppy to reply either. He left Skeppy behind, frozen under the turmoil of emotions by his simple explanation.

All the while.

Skeppy stood still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think the chapter is not good: 
> 
> Hey guys! I am very sorry that the chapter is not good and too short to your liking. I've been busy dealing with school stuff lately since exam is coming up. Talking about exam, I will be taking a one month break to deal with the exam thingy. After that, I will update the remaining chapter. I do hope that you still are interested to read the remaining part tho :D. Anyway, have a nice day!
> 
> If you think the chapter is good:
> 
> C R Y.
> 
> P.S. Since I will be taking a one month break, drop your question for the series on the comment section. At the end of the story, I will be answering the questions. Please be mindful of your question ^^.


	9. Chapter 9

“The blood vines are reported to be growing on Punz’s tower.”

Bad has a grim look on his face. Hands trembling against the table, eyes dull green above the dark eye bags, and pale complexion that was even too pale for him. Others cast a worried look at each other, how horrifying is the situation to have such an effect on the leader of the faction? Slowly, their imagination began to construct one scenario after another, each worse than the last.

Yet, Skeppy knows that it was not the blood vines that brought the demon to such a state. He knows that the red mass had nothing to do with the demon’s trembling hand, nor does it have anything to do with the messy locks under the hood. Heck, he dares to bet that the blood vines are the least of the demon’s worry as of now, especially in the presence of a bigger personal matter.

Unfortunately, it comes in the shape of a certain tan boy in a bright blue hoodie. Him, Skeppy.

“We suspected that there had been a leak in the containment chamber.”

Skeppy observes the way that Bad will unconsciously let his eyes shift toward him, letting the tan man see the guilt and fear in the demon’s gaze before it was pulled back under the anger and the green disappear from his sight. And every time, a little voice at the back of his mind will mock him and stab his gut with guilt for being the root of the demon’s worry.

“I will be going to the chamber to fix the leak myself. Yet, seeing how I had been under the egg’s control previously, Sam had recommended that I brought one of you along.”

‘Well, it’s not like I’m doing any better.’

Skeppy did not catch any of Bad’s words; his mind is in a haze of drowsiness. Ever since their last encounter, Skeppy could barely grasp any sleep. No matter how tired he was, no matter how comfortable his bed was, his eyes remain open and his buzzing mind would not let him sleep.

Skeppy knows that the two of them need to sit down and have a very long conversation to resolve whatever happens between them. But he never had managed to gather enough courage to create that opportunity for the both of them, and neither did Bad.

That opportunity seems even farther now that the blood vines matter will take most of Bad’s times.

“Yes, Quackity?”

Skeppy’s mind awake at the mention of the name and his head is quick to snap in the direction of the Mexican. Despite promising that he will not hold any resentment or envy toward the boy, he could not stop letting out a small scowl.

He is pretty sure that he, along with everyone else on this server, notice the similarity between him and the guy. The glint of mischief under chocolate milk eyes, confident smirk, loud and impulsive characteristics. Skeppy could as well spend a whole day listing down more.

He found the joke of Quackity replacing him amusing in the past.

It is not as amusing now.

“I know that look. It’s better not be a joke, Mr. Quackity.”, Bad squints his eyes at the Mexican. The said man was quick to shook his head.

“No, no, Bad. I’m being serious this time. But anyway-“, Quackity coughs into his hand, “I think Skeppy should go with you.”

Oh.

Quackity gives no time for Bad to reject the idea, “I mean, Sam did say Skeppy is immune to the egg’s control now… since he’s ‘cured’ and all.”

His eyes scan the room to find answers and stopped as he saw a similar glint of mischief in Puffy’s eyes. She snaps her head toward Skeppy, and grins, before turning back to Bad.

“Yeah, Bad. I think it is a pretty good idea. And I think he’s pretty good with the sword too.”, Puffy glances at Skeppy, “Well, as long as Skeppy don’t mind handling your weird antics alone…”

Ah.

Skeppy had thought that he had to make his ‘opportunity’ to talk with Bad had to by himself; he had to gather that courage by himself, speak to Bad himself, and even plan the whole thing himself.

Yet by luck, the opportunity present itself in front of him. Serve in a silver platter by the one person that he was so envious of.

He would be the dumbest person to let it slip away.

“We-well, I-I don’t think it—”

“Sure. I don’t mind.”

He just hopes Bad don’t mind him as well.

* * *

The sound of iron doors slamming against the quartz wall resonates through the empty mansion, declaring the arrival of the two inhabitants. The one on the lead pulls the other with rushed and heavy steps, whilst the other being dragged behind him with a proud smile on his face.

“What was that?!”

Bad quickly whips his head and letting go of his friend’s arm.

It is such a rare sight for one of the calmest and kindest individuals in the server to be showing such ugly rageful expression, some people even consider it taboo. Any outsider would have thought the victim of the rage is to blame for their horrible deeds to provoke such rage. But Quackity does not share the same idea.

“What was what Bad?”

Quackity leans against the quartz wall, eyes glancing at the demon’s trembling hands. Not even a slight hint of fear in his posture nor expression; instead, he is confident and calm, too calm to the demon’s liking. This, along with the teasing question, only enrage the demon further.

“What do you mean what?! Why did you suggest that- that- stupid idea?!”

If others were to stand in Quackity’s shoes, they would have trembled in fear and apologize profusely. He would have done the same thing as well if the demon is truly angered by his actions. But, he did not.

Why?

One, he is not just some nobody outsider who does not know a single bit about Bad. He is Bad’s best friend for the last three years. He knows Bad better than most people. He can read the demon like an open-book, seeing the lies and emotions that, sometimes, the demon did not even know. That brought to his other reasoning.

Two, this ‘rage’ is bullshit. Yes, he knows that Bad is annoyed by the stunt that he pulled back in the meeting room, but he is in no way angry. In fact, this ‘rage’ that Bad is showing is nothing but a mask to cover his quivering self; a form of denial he dares say.

Thus, Quackity only smiles wider at the frustrated demon.

“Well, I was just helping you.”

Quackity can see the fire in the demon’s eyes doubled in size, and he had to admit that it almost terrifies him. Almost.

“H-how does that help me?! You know that we’re in a-a- not so good condition! I mean, Like, I told you a-about our fight! How –“

“You still accepted it.”

Bad quickly brushes his fingers along his hair, mouth wide open as his mind tries to find a logical objection. As much as he hates to admit it, Quackity does get a point. A very good point. He ended up scoffing at Quackity, rolling his eyes, and shift his gaze. “I only agree because everyone else agrees.”

“That’s is the shittiest excuse you’ve said today. You could’ve just said ‘no’ and everyone will agree with you. You’re the fucking leader!”, Quackity pushes himself off the wall and approaches the demon, “Come on Bad, just admit it. You need this.”

Silent fall between the two of them, none says a word. Bad holds his glare against his friend’s. His minds wander once again, trying to come up with anything to defend his case.

In the end, he found nothing. Bad averts his gaze and lets out a deep sigh.

“Listen, whatever going on between you both, you need to fix this. It’s not good for you, literally.” Quackity eyes soften a little, “I’m just worried about you. You’re not planning to let this drag on forever, right?”

“So, what if I want this to drag on?”, Quackity raises his eyebrow, lost for words, “I mean, I’ll get over it, move on, and I’ll be back to my life. And if it is really got that bad, you’ll be there--”

“To console you, comfort you while you’re crying your eyes out every night? To hug you and give you the warmth that Skeppy was not there to give you? For me to try replacing the presence of your missing best friend with myself?” Quackity eyes squint. “Isn’t it the same shit that goes down three years ago?”

Bad eyes widen at Quackity. The Mexican only glares back, uttering the same statement the demon told him years ago.

“Bad, I’m not a replacement.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm back! Sorry for the long wait! I hope you enjoy the new chapter!


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